Halloween is for the kids. Sure there are those times that we dress up as adults and have fun. We’ve even spent money on renting the real Batman and Catwoman costumes, inviting over 200 of our closest friends and then spent 2 days cleaning up–good times.
But the excitement and wonderment in the little eyes of the kiddos when they put on their first cape and make the ginormous jump from the couch to the floor–if only for a second–they really believe they are flying. It’s that little wonderment that adults lose over time. Even the simplest decorations are fascinating when we are young.
Enter the haystack critter. These deceivingly decadent, rich and tasty cookie-like-creatures are just the thing to add a teeny bit of interest back into Halloween. Four simple ingredients are stirred together and plopped down on paper. You strategically place a few candy pieces to form a face, legs, antenna, a nose or whatever (eating a couple of ‘eyes’ along the way) and then sit back and wait for the haystack to harden. شرح لعبة بينجو Simple.
Officemates love these too! You might find two of them battling it out with their alien-like monsters. Winner eats both! Put a little Fat and Happy back into your Halloween with Butterscotch and Peanut Butter Haystack Critters.
Using a microwave: the key to melting chocolate in a microwave is to turn the heat down and stir often! Power the heat to about 50% or place on warm if you have that option. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat only for about 10 seconds at a time. Stir and then add again for only 10 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate is melted. It will only take seconds for the chocolate to burn. تعليم البوكر للمبتدئين
Butterscotch and Peanut Butter Haystack Halloween Critters
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 ounces chowmein noodles
- 1/3 cup peanuts (I like to use salted, dry-roasted for a little extra flavor, but plain peanuts work great)
For the critter decoration:
- plain M&M’s
- pull-apart licorice
- pretzels
Have a sheet of wax paper, about the size of a cookie sheet, sitting on the counter or on a sheet pan and ready for the haystack cookies. Melt the butterscotch chips (see melting tips above). Add in the peanut butter and stir until smooth using a spatula. Add in the chowmein noodles and the peanuts and fold it all together until everything is well coated.
Take a spoonful or spatula full of the haystack mixture and pile it on the wax paper. Don’t worry too much about trying to reshape them. Each one will form their own little haystack. 1xbet arabic These are fairly rich, so they don’t need to be too big; mine are roughly 1/4 cup, which should yield about a couple of dozen critters.
Let the haystack cookies firm up slightly while you ready the critter decorations. Use the M&M’s for eyes, the pretzels for legs and the licorice for antennas. Be creative and see what you can come up with!
Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques: How to melt chocolate: the best melting option is using a double broiler method. Essentially this is a pan with a little simmering water in it. On top is a pan or glass bowl that will fit tightly to the rim of the bottom pan without letting too much steam escape. This top pan or bowl should not touch the simmering water below. Drop in the chocolate, let the heat do the work, but stir often. Chips become glossy when they are warmed but they don’t loose their shape so you must stir. Carefully remove the bowl from the steaming pot but be very careful that no water gets into the chocolate or it will seize up requiring you to start over.
For more recipes, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com